Governor Signs Portfolio Licensure Bill
Culminating a multi-year effort to develop alternatives to the one-time “human subject” clinical licensure examination, Governor Schwarzenegger on September 29 signed legislation to create the nation’s first-ever dental school based portfolio examination process.
AB 1524 (Hayashi), sponsored by the Dental Board of California and supported by CDA and the six California dental schools, will eliminate the current California clinical licensure examination, which in recent years has rarely been taken in preference to the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) exam after that became a recognized option in 2005. The WREB exam, along with licensure by general practice residency or by credential, will continue to be available options for California licensure candidates.
The portfolio licensure exam model created by AB 1524 will allow students at the six California dental schools to complete the licensure process over the course of their final year in dental school, instead of waiting until after graduation. If they choose this option, students will be required to complete specific clinical experience benchmarks in seven categories, and pass a final assessment in each area whenever they and the dental school faculty feel they are ready. Once all experience benchmarks and assessments have been completed satisfactorily, the student will submit their finished portfolio to the Dental Board for final approval and licensure.
“CDA is very pleased and proud to have been an active participant with the board and the dental schools in the development of AB 1524,” said CDA President Thomas Stewart, DDS. “As chair of the board’s Examinations Committee, Dr. Stephen Casagrande has exercised tremendous leadership over the last two years in bringing all parties together to build this exciting new licensure option for California dental students.”
Although AB 1524 officially becomes effective on January 1, 2011, it will take some time before the portfolio examination option will actually be available to students. The dental board must first adopt and obtain approval for the regulations containing the more detailed structure of the portfolio exam process. The regulatory phase alone will likely take 1-2 years to complete, at which point each dental school will need to develop its own process, calibrate their faculty examiners, and formally make the portfolio exam available to their students.
“Although the implementation phase will take some time and will vary by school, we are delighted to be launching this process with the enactment of AB 1524,” said Dr. Stewart. “California is now at the forefront of an exciting new era in dental licensure, and CDA is pleased to be a part of it.”